When the leaves change colors and pumpkin flavors start popping up, fall is upon us and M-A’s campus comes alive with spirit. It’s officially football season, which means fun Friday Night Lights, Homecoming, rallies, and so many other exciting events. There is also a wide array of fall activities off campus, including fall food, drinks, and movies. Read on to learn about the best things to do during fall, both on and off campus.
My personal favorite fall activities to attend on campus are the Homecoming rally and dance, Trick-or-Treat Street, and this fall’s musical, Peter and the Starcatcher. As for off-campus activities, I love drinking Starbucks fall beverages, watching Halloweentown, and eating fall-themed donuts.
With nearby stores like Trader Joe’s decked out in festive decorations, shopping is like roaming a fall wonderland. On top of their decor, they also offer many delicious fall foods. Pumpkin Spice Joe’s and Harvest Collection Chocolates make a wonderful addition to your lunch. Butternut squash mac-and-cheese is a go-to when looking for comfort food on a cold fall night. Make yourself a sandwich from the assortment of pumpkin bread and spreads, and don’t forget apple cider to go with it.
Besides enjoying fall food, you can attend local pumpkin patches from Webb Ranch in Portola Valley to ABC Tree Farms in San Carlos. Or drive down to the coast to find fun pumpkin patches in Half Moon Bay.
Fall is also the time of giving, and at M-A we do our part to give back. M-A participates in the Second Harvest Food Bank’s Canned Food Drive, which runs from November 1st to December 10. Students can donate any extra food, cans they have and help raise money for the food drive. Canning is popular among students, many often standing outside local grocery stores asking for extra cans from shoppers. At the end of the drive, once everything is collected, students can volunteer at Distribution Day to help pack bags with the collected food and transport them to the cars of those in need.
Once it starts getting colder, many students just want to get cozy and watch their favorite comfort shows. Gilmore Girls is a fall favorite for many because the show starts out in the fall and is generally very festive with decorations. There are also classic Halloween movies such as The Nightmare Before Christmas and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
Overall, there are so many festive things to do to put us in the fall spirit. Have a great fall Bears!
